Subaqueous driving apparatus



March 3, 1931. Q F WILSQN 1,794,429

- SUBAQUEOUS DRIVING APPARATUS Filed OC.. 13, 1927 4Patented yMar.' 3,1,931

UNITED s'ra'iisA PATENT ori-"ICE GEORGE r. wInsoN, or AKRON, 01110,AssIGNoit, BY MEsNn AssIGNMENrs 'ro AMERICAN ANODE INC., OF AKRON, OHIO,A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE 'SUBAQUEOUS DRIVING 7 APPARATUS l Applicationled October 13, 1927. Serial No.. 225,977.

This invention relates to sub-aqueous driving apparatus, and moreparticularly to apparatusffor imparting rotary motion to4 an articlewhich is partly or totally immersed 5 in a liquid bath;

The invention is useful plating or coat-v means do not pass through thewalls of the y.

receptacle inwhich the article is submerged. Another object isto`provide' driving apparatus of such mobility as to permit it readilyto be immersed in and removed from a liq- 'uid bath. Another object isto provide driving means of the character described wherein li uid isexcluded from theA operative arts lof t e apparatus. Other objects wilbe .manifest from the detailed description of the apparatus..

The accompan ing'drawing is illustrative lof a paratus em odying myinvention in its pre erred form parts being sectioned and broken away.lFig. 1 represents th'e ap aratus as a whole, while Fig. 2 is a detai ed`view on a larger scale'of the portion of the v ap aratus which directlysupportsthe work.

, eferring to the drawing, 10.is a processingi-receptacle containin a'liquid bath 11,

' which a deposit from the bath 11 is made, such afdeposit being shownthereon at 13. lThe mandrel is supported in horizontal position bymechanisms which engage its respective end portions, `one of saidmechanisms Vincluding driving means' for rotatingthe mandrel upon itsown axis, the entire supporting and driving structure being adapted tobe raised and loweredat will, upon occaw sion,`such as v,the removaltherefrom of a other.

12 is a tubular artic Ve or mandrel upon coated mandrel and the mountingtherein of another mandrel to be coated.

The mandrel supporting and driving mechanisms are suspended from a frame14 which comprises a pair of laterally-spaced, parallel, horizontal bars15, 15 having their end portions secured in respective brackets 16, 16,the latter being slidably mounted upon vertical guides, such as theguide 17, posi-l tioned at opposite ends of the receptacle 10. The frame14 is thus positioned over said receptacle and adapted to be manuallyra'sed and lowered, a depending' counter-weight 18 being providedforholding the 'frame at the desired elevation by meansof cables'19, 19,which pass over sheaves, such as the sheave 20, in the upper portion ofthe respective guides 17 and connect said counterweight with theframe-brackets 16.

Mounted upon the horizontal bars 15 adj acent one end thereof is anadjustable journal bracket 21 which.includes a fixedA vertical sleeve22, the upper end of the latter supporting` a tll' end thereofsupporting a generally arcuate bearing structure 24 comprising a tubularportion 24a which is secured in said sleeve, a medial, arcuate, s litportion 24?) extending downwardly there rom, and an integral tubularportion 24a at ,the free end of said split portion, the axes of thetubular portions 24a and 240 being at right angles to each Inthetubularportion 24a is a bearing bushing 25, and the arcuate portion24?) is recessed at 26, 26 to provide spaces for meshing gears, theintermediate ortions between said recesses being forme as bearing facesfor the shafts of said ears. The. arcuate split portion 241i isprov-ided with a omplemental cover which is secured thereto y bolts 27,27.

Mounted in the bearings 23, 25 is a vertical shaft 28 having its lowerend provided withv a bevel gear 29 and its u perend provided with aworm-wheel 30 which is meshed with a worm-gear 31 journaled u on abracket 32 s'ecured to the sleeve 22.v he worm-gear 31 is driven fromanysuitable source of power, its shaft 32 preferably being provided with auniversal joint 33 connecting with a driveust bearing 23 and the lowershaft 34 having therein a slip-joint 3 5 and connecting, throu h auniversali joint 36, with the source o power. Thus, the shaft 28 may beconstantly driven at whatever` elevationthe frame 14 is positioned.

The bevel gear 29 is meshed with a bevel gear 37 mounted upon one end ofan obliquely disposed shaft 38 which is journaled in the split portion245 of the bearing struc-ture 24,the other end of said shaft havingmounted thereon a bevel gear 39 which is meshed with a bevel gear 40mounted upon the adjacent end of a horizontal shaft 41 which isjournaled in the tubular ing structure 24.

A thrust washer 42 is mounted upon the outer end portion of the shaft 41abutting the bearing structure 24, as shown in Fig. 2, and a shoulderedbushing 43 also is mounted upon said shaft 41 abutting the washer 42.Secured upon said bushing is a forwardly tapered collar'44 having arearwardly extending circumferential iange or apron 45 which overliesthe tubular portion 240 of the bearing structure 24, said collar 44 andits flange 45 constituting a seat for a bell-shaped rubber cap 46, thelatter having a portion which extends over the forward end of thetapered collar 44 and bushing 43 and being clamped thereagainst by acylindrical block 47 which is threaded onto the end of the shaft 41. Theblock 47 is provided with four radial slots 61 in which are disposedcontact fingers 48 pivoted on pins 62. The lingers 48 are yieldinglypressed against the interior of the mandrel 12 by means of coil springs63, whereby electrical contact is established between the mandrel 12 andthe bearing structure 24, through the intermediary of the block 47 andthe horizontal shaft 41. rlhe tapered portion of the cap-covered collar44 is adapted to enter one of the open ends of the tubular mandrel 12,4and the bell-shaped portion of thecap 46 is so shaped as to overlie andsnugly embrace the end portion of said mandrel for a short distance, andterminates in an outwardly flared portion 49 adapted to facilitateinsertion of the mandrel into the cap and to effect a beveled or skivedend on the deposit 13 on said mandrel. The frictional engagement of thecap 46 with the mandrel 12 is suiicient to rotate the latter when thecap is rotated through the shaft 41 and associated gears and shafts fromthe drive-shaft 34.

To protect the bearing structure 24 in Fig. 1 from the fluid 11 and toobviate the use of packing and stalling boxes therein; the entirestructure is covered with a iexible rubber sleeve 5() which hascylindrical end portions and a helically corrugated medial portion, thelatter being ,internally reinforced with a coiled spring 51. The lowerend'portion of the sleeve 50 fits tightly over that portion of the cap46 which rests upon the ange portion 240 of the bear- 4 45 of the collar44, and the other end portion of the sleeve yloosely embraces the lowerend of the bearing sleeve 22, which is above the liquid level of thebath 11, the intermediate, corrugated portion of the sleeve fittingloose-- ly aroundthe arcuate portion 24?) of the bearing structure 24.rlhe sleeve 50 is thus adapted to exclude liquid from contact with thebearing structure 24 and metal parts associated therewith, and is freeto rotate upon drel 12, a bracket 52 is pivotally mounted at 53 betweenthe horizontal bars 15 at their opposite ends from the journal bracket21,l

said bracket being provided with an upstanding arm 54 which is connectedby a pull- ,spring 55 with the adjacent bar-supporting bracket 16, so asnormally to urge the bracket 52 downward around its pivot 53. Dependingfrom the bracket 52 is a bearing structure 24, cap 46, and sleeve 50together with associated parts identical with those at the other end ofthe `frame 14 except that gears and shafts are omitted from the bearingstructure 24. The arrangement is such that the cap 46 yieldingly engagesthe mandrelend to support the same, under the urge of the spring 55, andsaid cap is free to rotate with the mandrel as the latter "is rotatablydriven from its opposite end.

A. pipe 56 is suspended from the parallel bars 15 directly over themandrel l2, being y secured to said bars by straps 57, 57, and havingone end closed and its other end connected to a flexible pipe 58 leadingto a source of supply of air under pressure. Mounted in the pipe 56 is amanually operable valve 59,

and a plurality of spaced-apart, downwardly extending, angular nozzles60, 60 which are adapted to direct jets of air, at an angle, againstthe'uppermost face of the mandrel throughout the entire length thereof.

In the operation of the apparatus, the frame 14 and associated partsbeing in uppermost position, a mandrel is suspended between the caps 46as indicated by the broken lines of the` drawing, the pivoted mountingof the bracket 52 facilitating the mandrelmounting operation. The frame.is then manually lowered until the mandrel is partly or wholly immersedin the bath and then raised again and the mandrel rotated to bringuppermost that portion of the mandrel which iirst made contact with thebath to expose the bubbles thereon caused by the entrapping of A airbetween the mandrel and f ered into the bath and rotated continuouslywhile a substantially undirectional electric current is supplied throughthe positive cable 65 and negative cable 66. The course'taken -by thecurrent from the positive cable 65 is through the bars 15 to the journalbracket 21 land the pivoted bracket 52, thence to the respective bearingstructures 24, 24, the horizontal shafts 41, 41, the blocks 47, 47, thecontact fingers 48, 48, and to the mandrel 12. The electricalconductivity may be increased by lubricating the gears in the bearingstructure 24 with a grease having a Ihigh graphite content. lThe currentpassing from the mandrel 12 through the liquid 11 to the receptacle 10and thence to the negative cable 66, causes the deposition on themandrel 12, inthe form of a coherent coating 13, of negatively chargedcolloidal particles, such as the rubber particles in rubber latex,suspended in the liquid 11. When a deposit of sufiicient thickness isobtained the current is interrupted, the mandrel is raised from the bathand rotation is continued until. all the liquid adhering thereto eitherdripsback into the bath or is uniformly distributed upon the surface ofthe deposit on the mandrel. The

mandrel may then be removed and the operation repeated.

.Although my invention is described with reference to the coating ofarticles or man drels by electrodeposition it will be evident that itmay be adapted for mechanical coating. by the omission of the cables 65and 66 and the contact fingers 48, 48.

It will be seen that I have provided driving apparatus for coatingprocesses in which there are no frictionally sliding surfaces in Contactwith the (zoatingbath, and wherein other advantages set forth in thestatement of objects are, attained. a

Various modifications are possible within the scope of the appendedclaims.`

I claim:

p 1. In combination, a rotatable member,`a support for said memberdisposed out of alignment with the axis of rotation` of.Y the member,and a flexible, liquid-tight sleeve surrounding the support andconnected at one end with therotatable member in such manner as torotate therewith and to exclude liquids kfrom contact with frictionallyengaging parts of the mechanism. v

' 2. In combination, a rotatable member, a support for said memberdisposed out of alignment with the axis of rotation of the member andincludingdrivingl means for the member, .and a fiexible, liquid-tightsleeve surrounding the' support and driving means the liquid of andconnected at one end withsthe rotatable member in such manner as to`rotate therewith and to exclude liquids from contact with frictionally^engaging parts of the mechanism.

- 3. In combination, a rotatable member, a 'l support for said memberdisposed at an angle to the axis of rotation of the membemdriving .meansfor the member enclosed within the support, and a flexible, liquid-tightsleeve surroundingthe support and connected at one end with therotatable member in such manner as vto rotate -therewith and to excludeliquids from contact with 'frictionally engaging parts of themechanism."

4. Incombination, a rotatable member, a 'support for said memberdisposed at an angle to the axis of rotation of the member, a flexible,liquid-tight sleeve surrounding the support and connected at one endwith the rotatable member in such manner as to rotate therewith and toexclude liquidsfrom contact with frictionally engaging parts of themechamism, and means for alternately immersing the rotatable member in aliquid bath and removing it therefrom.

5. In combination, a rotatable member, a

alignment with the axis of rotation of the member, and a flexible,liquid-tight, circumg5 ferentially corrugated sleeve surrounding the 'isupport and connected at one end -with the rotatable member'insuchmanner as to rotate therewith and to exclude liquids from contact withfrictionally engaging parts of the mechanism. l

6. In combination, a rotatable member, ,a support for said memberdisposed out of alignment with the axis of rotation of the member, and'a-helically corrugated, flexible, liquid-'tight sleeve ,surrounding thesupport .and connected at one end with the rotatable v member in suchmanner as to rotate therewith' and to exclude liquids from contact withfrictionally engaging parts of the mechanism.

7. In combination, a rotatable member', a su port for said memberdisposed out of Yalignment with the axis of rotation of the member, andan internallyreenforced, ciri cumferentially corrugated sleeve ofresilient materialsurrounding the support and connected at one end withthe rotatable member in 'such manner as to rotate therewith and to.exclude liquids from Contact with' frictionally enga ing parts of themechanism.

8. n combination,- a rotatable member, a

-. contact with `frictionally engagingparts of the mechanism.l v,

9. In combination, a rotatable member, a support for said memberdisposed at an angle to the axis of rotation of the member, drivingmeans for the member enclosed within the support, anda circumferentiallycorrugated rubber sleeve surrounding the support and connected at oneend with the rotatable member in such manner as to rotate therewith andto exclude liquids from Contact with frictionally engaging partsy of themechanism.

10. In combination, a rotatable member, a support for said memberdisposed out of alignment with the axis of rotation ot' the member andadapted to sustain the rotatable member beneath the surface of a liquid,driving means for the member enclosed within the support, and acircuinferentia-lly corrugated rubber sleeve surrounding the support andconnected at one end in liquid-tight relationship with the rotatablemember so as to rotate therewith, the other end of the sleeve extendingat all times above the surface of the liquid. 11. In combination, amember rotatable about a horizontal axis, a curved support therefor, oneend of the support being substantially co-axial with the rotatablemember and the other end being substantially vertical, driving means forthe rotatable member enclosed within the support, means adapted to lowerand raise the rotatable member into and out of a liquid bath, and acircumferentially corrugated sleeve ot' resilient material surroundingthe support,one end of the sleeve being connected with therotatable'member in liquid-tight relationship so as to rotate there-Iwith and the other end extending at all times above the surface of theliquid. s

12. In `combination, a vertically movable frame, a. pair of supportsdepending therefrom, the lower ends of the supports being curved towardone another, a pair of members rotatable about a common axis, the saidmembers being located on the ends of the two supports and being adaptedto grasp and sustain an object which is to be immersed and rotated in aliquid bat-li, driving means for the rotatable members contained withinat least one of the supports, and circumferentially corru- 1 gatedsleeves of resilient material surrounding the supports, one end of eachsleeve being connected with the corresponding rotatable member inliquid-tight relationship so as to rotate therewith and t-he other endextending at all times above the surface of the liquid. In witnesswhereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of October, 1927.

GEORGE F. WILSON.

